The first step
Where to start
The first step is the hardest – but with the right preparation it is only half as bad. Here are the two most important practical points before anything else gets going.
The NIF – nothing works without it
Número de Identificação Fiscal · Portuguese tax number
The NIF is your nine-digit Portuguese tax number. Practically nothing works without it: no renting a flat, no mobile phone contract, no setting up a company, no buying a house, no buying a car, no bank account.
How to get it:
Go to a tax office of your choice (e.g. Calheta, Ponta do Sol, Santa Cruz, Funchal), take a queue number and explain what you need. You only need your ID card and about €15. After around 10 minutes you will have your NIF in your hands.
Mobility: you hardly get by without a car
Without a vehicle of your own you are de facto limited to Funchal – the bus system is time-consuming and confusing because of four different operators and old coastal roads.
Rental car as a tourist: Deposits of up to €1,500 are common and prices vary greatly by season (we once paid €1,400 for a week – a lesson we are happy to spare you). Tip: book the car in advance from Germany (good experience with Check24) and document the condition at pick-up with your phone.
As an emigrant you have two options:
1. Bring your car
The ferry Porto–Caniçal costs €450–600, plus:
| Submit vehicle documents to the Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira | ≈ €50 |
| Technical inspection (TÜV) | ≈ €90 |
| Return to the Autoridade Tributária for customs documents | – |
| Import application with customs agent + registration tax | ≈ €125 + ≈ €1,700 |
| Portuguese number plate & road registration | ≈ €20 |
| De-register in Germany after receiving the plate | – |
Before import, the vehicle must have been registered in your name for at least 1 year and have driven at least 6,000 km. After that you are tied to the vehicle for 5 years (if you sell earlier, the tax becomes due proportionally), and you must fully de-register in Germany within 6 months.
2. Buy a car locally
Much more relaxed – and it supports the local economy at the same time. Our recommendation.
All prices are approximate and may change every year.